CPS West Midlands: Successful Hate Crime Cases – July 2025
In July 2025, the CPS West Midlands Magistrates’ and Crown Court units successfully prosecuted various hate crime cases. Below are some of the cases.
A 32-year-old man from Cornwall has been sentenced following a hate crime incident at St Austell Railway Station. On 30 September, the defendant became verbally abusive towards the complainant, making transphobic remarks before physically assaulting them and damaging their mobile phone. He was subsequently charged with assault by beating and criminal damage, both offences aggravated by transphobic hostility. The defendant pleaded guilty to both charges and appeared at Bodmin Magistrates’ Court on 11 July 2025. His sentence was increased from 18 to 26 weeks imprisonment to reflect the hate crime element. He was also ordered to pay £500 in compensation to the complainant.
A 46-year-old man from Birmingham has been sentenced for a hate crime offence under the Public Order Act. On 19 April 2024, the defendant was arrested in connection with unrelated matters. During the arrest, he became verbally abusive towards the arresting officer, directing homophobic remarks at them. He was subsequently charged with a racially aggravated public order offence. He initially pleaded not guilty but changed his plea to guilty on the day of trial. On 11 July 2025, he was sentenced immediately to 16 weeks imprisonment, uplifted from 12 weeks to reflect the hate crime element. He was also ordered to pay £50 in compensation to the complainant.
A 38-year-old man from Sandwell has received a suspended sentence for a racially aggravated offence under the Public Order Act. On 21 April 2024, the defendant was arrested for being drunk and disorderly. While in police custody, he became racially abusive towards a police officer. He was subsequently charged with a racially aggravated public order offence, to which he pleaded guilty. On 8 July 2025, he was sentenced to an 18-week suspended prison sentence, uplifted from 15 weeks to reflect the hate crime element. He was also ordered to pay £50 in compensation to the complainant.
A 45-year-old man from Tottenham has received a suspended prison sentence for two racially aggravated assaults against railway staff. On 6 February 2025, the defendant was present at St Pancras Station when he became racially abusive towards two members of staff. He spat at one and punched the other in the face. He was charged with two counts of racially aggravated assault by beating and pleaded guilty to both offences. On 16 July 2025, he was sentenced to a 12-week suspended prison sentence, uplifted from eight weeks to reflect the hate crime element. He was also ordered to pay £50 in compensation to each of the two complainants.
A 41-year-old man from Surrey has received a suspended prison sentence for a racially aggravated assault and threatening behaviour involving a weapon. On 5 June 2023, the defendant was travelling alone in a taxi towards Bucknall when a dispute arose over the fare at the end of the journey. He assaulted the taxi driver whilst using racially abusive language. Although the driver managed to move his vehicle away, the defendant returned and struck him multiple times with a wallpaper stripper, causing injuries to his wrist. The defendant appeared before Stoke Crown Court on 29 April 2025, where he pleaded guilty to racially aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm and threatening another with a blade or sharply pointed article. He was sentenced at the same court on 11 July 2025 to two years’ imprisonment, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation to the taxi driver.
A 26-year-old man from London has been sentenced to a two-year community order for multiple assaults on emergency workers and a public order offence, aggravated by homophobic hostility. On 26 July 2024, the defendant was reported for being abusive towards fellow travellers at London Liverpool Street Station. When police officers attended to speak with him, he immediately displayed aggressive behaviour, made threats to kill, attempted to assault them, and succeeded in biting one officer on the knee. During the incident, he also used homophobic language towards one of the officers. He pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court on 14 May 2025 to three counts of assaulting an emergency worker and one public order offence. He was sentenced at the same court on 9 July 2025 to a two-year community order, which includes 100 hours of unpaid work.